WARWICK, R.I. — The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has announced the award recipients for the 2026 Student Film Festival. 

Evaluated by a panel of local industry professionals, this year's submissions spanned a wide variety of genres and styles. The festival culminated in a celebration of the top entries, highlighting student accomplishments in directing, acting, editing, and production design. 

Taking home the festival’s most prestigious prize, the Brent Henderson Excellence in Filmmaking Award, was 30-year-old Communication and Media/Film major Nicholas LaFleur for his horror short, Shift. The Coventry, R.I. native also was recognized with the award for Best Director. 

“It honestly meant the world to me,” LaFleur said of the recognition. “I had wanted to be a writer and director since I was a little kid, although that never seemed like it could ever be a possibility. Shift was the first film project I worked on as a writer and director, and not only did people like it, but it won the big award that night too, which just felt surreal.” 

After plans for a different psychological body horror film fell through, LaFleur pivoted to create a project tailored to the strengths and resources of his available team. Drawing visual inspiration from films like Jacob's Ladder, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Seven, he chose to prioritize a specific, visceral tone over a traditional narrative theme. 

“I wanted the audience to feel as though they were experiencing an anxiety-driven nightmare," LaFleur explained. "One that you could follow intuitively in the moment enough to know why you are afraid but can never entirely make sense of it until the moment you wake up, or in this case, the reveal of the twist.” 

Bringing the ambitious short to life required extensive collaboration, and LaFleur credited his production team — classmates Riley Sullivan and Stephen Osella — for their vital roles on set. He also noted the profound impact of the college's faculty on his development as a filmmaker. 

“My film professor at the time, Professor Sullivan, was instrumental in teaching me how to plan for a shoot,” LaFleur said, adding that the instruction paid off during post-production with invaluable feedback on color grading and pacing. “I also have to give a lot of due credit to my former film professors, Stephanie Cabral and David Bettencourt, both of whom gave me invaluable opportunities for experience before creating my own original project.” 

To view the winning submissions, visit CCRI's YouTube channel. 

2026 Award Winners 

• Brent Henderson Excellence in Filmmaking Award Shift – Nicholas LaFleur 
• Best Fictional Narrative Come Clean – Jacob Hall 
• Best Documentary Twice in a Lifetime – Abby Stinette 
• Best Experimental Mortal Sensation – Cam Laxton 
• Best Director Nicholas LaFleur, Shift 
• Best Screenplay Come Clean 
• Best Cinematography Mortal Sensation 
• Best Editing Creative Block 
• Best Sound Wielding the Spirit 
• Best Actress Serenity Johnson, Shift 
• Best Actor Will Gerlach, The Day After 
• Best Costume Design Shift 
• Best Production Design Tiny Forks 
• Best Musical Score RIPS 

 2026 Honorable Mentions 

• Best Fictional Narrative The Day After – Will Gerlach 
• Best Documentary Wielding the Spirit – Andrew Hurst 
• Best Experimental Trustom Pond – Wilson Duarte 
• Best Director Jacob Hall, Come Clean 
• Best Screenplay The Day After 
• Best Cinematography Lucre 
• Best Editing News? 
• Best Sound Mortal Sensation 
• Best Actress Valentin Salvador, Come Clean 
• Best Actor Riley Sullivan, Paths of Children 
• Best Costume Design Man of My Dreams 
• Best Production Design Mortal Sensation 
• Best Musical Score One Call